Moore-Harold

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

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941914

Gunner

Harold Moore

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1918/09/20 - Born Wall Heath, Kingswinford, Staffordshire

Son of Edward and Eliza Moore

1939/09/21 - Harold married Dorothy May Dunn in Staffordshire

Next of Kin Wife, Dorothy May Dunn

Royal Artillery

148 Field Regiment

18th Division

Service

1939/10/20 - Enlisted

In September 1939, the 148th Field Regiment were formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, becoming part of the 18th Division.

After training the 148th Field Regiment were stationed on the Norfolk Coast, but without guns they had little use there. When they received their 25lb pounder field guns the regiment went to Larkhill for a firing camp on the range at Salisbury Plain. The guns performed well although their maximum range was only about 6000 yards.

The Regiment initially comprised of Regimental Headquarters and two Batteries 419 and 420. The Batteries consisted of two Troops, each with four guns. A detachment of six gunners manned each gun with a driver and gun tractor for mobility. Each Troop had a Gun Position Officer who would site the guns.

After Norfolk the 148 Field Reg. had orders to be moved to the Scottish borders late in 1940. In January, February and March 1941 the snow restricted outdoor manoeuvres. Some night exercises did take place like positioning the guns in darkness with land lines between the observation posts.

The next move was to the Rochdale area where training continued as before and with a firing camp at Trawsfynydd near the lake. A third Battery 512, was formed on the 1st June 1941 at Rochdale, making 148 Field Regiment up to the strength of 24 guns and became part of the 54 Infantry Brigade

148 Field with 25 Pounder Field Gun in Wales

148th Field Regiment Gun Crew 19th June 1941

Manhandle their 25-pdr field gun into position, during anti-tank training using armour-piercing shells, near Dolgellau in Wales. (IWM H10915)

By Taylor (Lt), War Office official photographer

SS Andes

The 148 Field Regiment entrained to Liverpool in October 1941, where they embarked on the SS Andes as part of the CT.5 Convoy. On the 30th October they sailed for Halifax, believing their destination was the Middle East.

USS Wakefield

After reaching Halifax on the 11th November, the 148 Field Regiment, being part of the 54 Infantry Brigade, boarded the American liner ‘USS Wakefield’ and sailed in Convoy William Sail 12X.

Convoy William Sail 12X

Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney

Detailed Account by Thomas M. Allison

A reproduction of an account by Thomas M. Allison who is understood to be serving as an American Naval officer in the convoy.

Aircraft

Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.

Ships Front Line, Top to Bottom:-

USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)

Ships Back Line Top to Bottom:-

USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman

The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.

Arrived at Trinidad 17th November in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies. The equator was crossed soon after leaving Trinidad on the 24th, there was a crossing the line ceremony.

The convoy sailed to Trinidad, berthing on the 17th November in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave was given. The ships were replenished before leaving on the 19th for South Africa.

On the 24th the convoy passed the equator and each ship had a ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony.

Crossing the Line Certificate

The day after they docked at Cape Town, South Africa, news reached them that on the 8th December, Japan had bombed Pearl Harbour and invaded Malaya. Nothing seemed to indicate the news as the streets were bright and cheerful to the troops who were given shore leave.

On the 13th December Convoy William Sail 12X continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger,

Britain and America were now at war with Japan and the rumours were that the convoy was now heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.

December 8th, Japan declared war, by attacking Pearl Harbour and Malaya, the day after we docked at Capetown, South Africa.

We did not get shore leave on the day we arrived but were granted the following three days, giving us plenty of time to see the sights. There was no blackout in Capetown, everything was illuminated. We lodged with Mrs Burton who made Jack and I very comfortable and promised to write to Phil and Ivy which pleased us both. Unfortunately I got a sceptic foot and only went out twice, when I did get out the shops were worth a visit, they were well stocked, with a variety of goods we hadn't seen for a long time in Blighty. The warmth of the South Africans towards us was very comforting, they seemed to like having us around and I was sad when the time came to re-embark on the Wakefield.

On 13^th we left Capetown, we now had a British escort (H.M.S. Dorcester). 5^th and 6^th Norfolks on U.S.S. Mount Vernon left convoy for Mombasa later joining a convoy to Singapore. We crossed the equator for the second time, arriving at Bombay, India on 27^th December. We travelled up country by train to Ahmednagar, near Poona where we trained for the next twelve days, route marching in the sun to get used to the heat and wondering what all this was for. The poverty in India was terrible, children foraged for food in gutters because of starvation, it made me feel guilty of the food we had consumed onboard the Wakefield. The Japanese at this time had attacked Malaya and were moving south towards Singapore.

We had just seen in 1942 only to embark on 17^th January back onto the Wakefield. The ship sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. It was at this time we heard that the Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese and we were on our way to the Far East. We passed Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, we passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage but we were now alerted as to their intentions, so we picked up steam, the Wakefield was the first of our convoy to reach the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on the 29^th January 1942. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. We did not know it at this time but the Japs had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away

Four of the 148 Field 25-pounder guns were lost when the ship they were on was bombed and sank when almost reaching Singapore .

The day after the 148 Field Regiment arrived the causeway over the Strait of Jahore which linked Singapore to Malaya was destroyed. This did not delay the Japanese who landed at the North West of Singapore Island on the 8th February.

The Japanese put up observation balloons and as there were no aircraft, and the guns could not reach the balloons, the troop movements and field gun positions were known to the Japanese.

The lack of air support caused the defenders of Singapore to come under a constant aerial attack. At the start of operations the 148 Field Regiment were held as reserve to support the defence of the 18th Division on the north coast.

Bukit Timah Map

As the Japanese progressed towards Singapore City the 148 Field Regiment were moved on the 12th February around the MacRitchie Reservoir to position themselves near Adam Park, supporting the 4th and 5th Suffolk Regiments and the 4th Norfolk Norfolk being part of the 54 Infantry Brigade and now part of Tomforce.

The Japanese were trying to gain a foothold on Hill 95 which overlooked the Adam Park area. The Japanese were forcing the Suffolk Regiment back towards a Platoon of the 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment (53 Infantry Brigade) who were defending the right flank of the hill. In the mayhem the 148 Field Regiment received orders to cover the Suffolks retreat. This they did but unfortunately the Cambridgeshires had stood their ground and along with the attacking Japanese the Cambridgeshires were hit by the 148 Field shells with deaths.

The Japanese now threatened seizure of the reservoirs, which were Singapore’s water supply. This made it an easy decision for Percival, so late on the 15th February 1942 the gunners were told to put their guns out of action as Singapore had surrendered.

Surrender of Singapore

by Leo Rawlings

Tracer Card

1942/04/21 - WO 417/42, Casualty List No. 803. Reported ‘Missing’.

1943/10/06 - WO 417/67, Casualty List No. 1257. Previously posted Missing. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

Harold had a hand wound from shrapnel

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/09 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘River Valley Road Party’, train 1

Work Group 1

New PoW No. IV 15294

Kinsaiyok, Chungkai, ,

1943/10/25 - Rail lines from Thailand and Burma joined near Konkoita, Thailand

Nong, Pladuk, Tha Muang, Nakon Pathom Hospital,

New PoW No. 11695

Mergui Road

1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand

Flown from Bangkok to Rangoon Recuperation Centres

Liberation Questionnaire, filled in by Harold after being liberated

1945/10/27 - WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1869. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1257 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.

Repatriated

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